SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wilshire Associates (“Wilshire”), a leading global, independent investment management, investment consulting and services firm, today announced that Jessica Nicosia and Cian Desmond have joined Wilshire Funds Management as a Vice President and Assistant Vice President, respectively. Nicosia will assist in developing Wilshire’s robust alternatives offering, supporting the firm’s efforts to identify and provide customized alternative investment solutions to financial intermediaries and institutions globally. Desmond joins Wilshire’s Manager Research Group, primarily focused on alternative investment strategies.
“It is with great pleasure that we welcome Jessica and Cian to Wilshire, particularly as investor interest in alternatives increases. These additions to our team are a direct reflection of the firm’s commitment to enhancing our alternatives expertise,” said Jason Schwarz, President of Wilshire Funds Management and Wilshire Analytics. “Jessica’s multifaceted experience in the space will bolster the firm’s ability to innovate across our full range of alternatives solutions, including risk premia and hedge fund managed accounts. Further, Cian’s alternative investment research and manager selection experience for institutional and ultra high-net-worth clients deepens Wilshire’s alternatives research capabilities.”
Nicosia brings to Wilshire 15 years of experience in the alternative investment industry. Prior to joining Wilshire Associates, she held roles with a focus on marketing quantitative hedge funds at R. G. Niederhoffer Capital Management, Vegasoul and J. E. Moody & Company.
Desmond brings eight years of industry experience. Prior to joining Wilshire Associates, he was the Director of Alternative Investment Research at Shepherd Kaplan Krochuk, LLC in Boston with primary responsibility for developing investment strategy, conducting alternative investment research, and leading manager selection across asset classes. Prior to relocating to Boston, he worked in the alternative investment research group at Canterbury Consulting.
“I am thrilled to be joining Wilshire and its long history as a leading provider of alternative investment solutions,” said Nicosia. “I look forward to working alongside Jason and his team to further enhance the firm’s already strong alternatives offering, and am excited about what we can deliver to Wilshire’s clients.”
Added Desmond, “I am very excited to join Wilshire’s alternatives team and am eager to bring a differentiated perspective to an already robust investment research process.”
Nicosia will be based in New York and report to Schwarz, while Desmond will be based in Santa Monica, reporting to Rob Noe, Head of Wilshire’s Manager Research Group.
Wilshire Funds Management is Wilshire’s dedicated business unit responsible for developing and delivering a broad range of multi-asset and alternative investment solutions to financial intermediaries and institutions globally. Wilshire Funds Management advises on over $184 billion in assets and manages over $50 billion on a discretionary basis (as of June 30, 2018).
About Wilshire Associates
Wilshire Associates, a leading global financial services firm, provides consulting services, analytics solutions and customized investment solutions to plan sponsors, investment managers and financial intermediaries. Its business units include, Wilshire Analytics, Wilshire Consulting, Wilshire Funds Management and Wilshire Private Markets. The firm was founded in 1972, providing revolutionary technology and acting as an early innovator in the application of investment analytics and research to investment managers in the institutional marketplace. Wilshire also is credited with helping to develop the field of quantitative investment analysis that uses mathematical tools to analyze market risks. All other business units evolved from Wilshire’s strong analytics foundation. Wilshire developed the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index and became an early innovator in creating integrated asset/liability analysis/simulation models as well as practical models in risk budgeting through beta and active risk analysis. Wilshire has grown to a firm of approximately 265 employees serving the needs of investors around the world. Based in Santa Monica, California, Wilshire provides services to clients in more than 20 countries representing approximately 500 organizations with assets totaling US $9 trillion (Client assets are as represented by Pensions & Investments (P&I), detailed in P&I’s “Largest Retirement Funds” and P&I’s “Largest Money Managers (U.S. institutional tax-exempt assets)” as of 9/30/17 and 12/31/17, and published 2/5/18 and 5/28/18, respectively). With ten offices worldwide, Wilshire Associates and its affiliates are dedicated to providing clients with the highest quality products and services. Wilshire® and Wilshire 5000® are registered service marks of Wilshire Associates Incorporated. Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index℠ is a service mark of Wilshire Associates Incorporated.
